Financial services regulatory reform will continue to evolve in 2018 and 2019. As we observe the changing legislative landscape, here is the Post Midterm Election Edition of our reference tool, which provides context and summarizes current developments across a range of key regulatory areas, agencies and actors. We will continue…Continue Reading

As we discuss in our memorandum released today and available here, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) last week took a significant step in its regulation of virtual asset activities by establishing a new, opt-in regulatory sandbox framework for virtual asset trading platform operators, proposing…Continue Reading

On October 25, 2018, the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (the “SCIA”) published a case analysis detailing its decision on a business contract dispute involving the possession and transfer of cryptocurrencies. The arbitral panel found that although Bitcoin does not have the legal status equal to currency and…Continue Reading

The regulation and operations of virtual currency exchanges are again in the spotlight, due to the new report issued by the Office of the New York Attorney General (OAG). The report, which follows the April launch by the OAG of its Virtual Markets Integrity Initiative (VMII…Continue Reading

Financial services regulatory reform in 2018 continues to evolve. As we leave summer behind, here is the Fall Focus edition of our reference tool, which provides context and summarizes current developments across a range of key regulatory areas, agencies and actors. We will continue to track these issues and will…Continue Reading

After a several month lull that led some to question the SEC’s focus on crypto enforcement, this week saw a spate of enforcement activity involving crypto assets: several SEC enforcement actions, an SEC trading suspension order, the first FINRA cryptocurrency enforcement action, and a preliminary court decision consistent with the…Continue Reading

The FTC is expanding its enforcement efforts for fintech, particularly in the areas of online and small-business lending, payments, and cryptocurrencies. At a recent event in Washington, D.C., the FTC’s Director of Consumer Protection, Andrew Smith, stated, “Commissioners are really interested in [fintech]. Finance will be a steady part of…Continue Reading

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has granted conditional approval to digital-banking startup Varo Bank (previously Varo Money) of its application to form a de novo national bank. Varo Bank, N.A. would become the first mobile-only national bank in United States. This is an interesting…Continue Reading

The ability of banks to sell the loans they originate is a core element in the development and sustainability of a nationwide lending market. Recent legal developments threaten to undermine this ability, jeopardizing the foundation of a U.S. nationwide loan market and the core lending activities of banks.

In its recent report on financial innovation, the U.S. Treasury Department calls upon federal banking regulators to address the uncertainty in lending markets created by the Madden case and True Lender developments.

The Report recognizes that “unsecured consumer credit could be diminished because nonbank firms such as marketplace lenders may…Continue Reading

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